Safe-Haven Baby Boxes are controversial

Safe Haven Boxes are not legal in every state

On the Peacock soap Days of Our Lives, Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd) gave birth in her bedroom, cleaned up, then left her newborn in a Safe Haven box at a local fire department.

When I saw this, I was stunned that babies could be dropped off in a box =like unwanted kittens and puppies. Boyd said filming the scenes was very emotional.

Safe Haven drop boxes, however, are not what I had imagined. Some people believe they are a better option than abortion or newborns being left in dumpsters and trash cans. The motto for this method is "No shame, no blame, no name". The goal is to give mothers who don't want their newborns to give them a chance at a better life while remainig anonymous.

This method, however, is only legal in a few US states. By the time you read this, there may be more. I was told by a local man that he had seen this option on television shows since the 1990s, but officially, Safe Haven Boxes have been around for only a decade.

A safe space or abandonment?

According to Wikipedia, there are now 13 states where Safe Haven Boxes are legal: Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Arizona. In all other states, dropping a baby off is considered abandonment.

SHBB was founded in 2015 by Monica Kelsey, a medic and firefighter/ The idea for the organization came about after Kelsey discovered that she was abandoned as an infant.[She developed the baby box concept to prevent similar situations and protect the lives of vulnerable infants. SHBB launched the first baby box in the US in 2016 and received its first surrendered newborn in 2017.

Surrendering an unwanted child

SHBB (Safe Haven Baby Box) was established as a safe and anonymous option for parents to surrender their newborns. The goal is to prevent infant abandonment and ensure the well-being of these babies.

The organization achieves this by installing baby boxes, also known as newborn safety incubators, at designated locations such as hospitals, fire stations, and other secure havens that are staffed 24/7.

These incubators are not wooden crates or cardboard boxes. They are climate-controlled, electronically monitored devices built into a wall. The interior of the box resembles a bassinet and is designed for easy external access while ensuring the baby is secure once inside.

Still, for many, this will be seen as an option that should not be available. At this time, there are no statistics on how many babies go to good homes or end up in foster care or an orphanage. There are pros and cons to such an arrangement.

How will this option affect children who were dropped off?

Even though this process is anonymous, truth has a way of being revealed. While some women believe these incubators are the best choice, what about the children? How will a child feel if they learn in later life that they had been placed at one of the facilities?

Will they thank their mother for giving them up or bear the shame of being given away in such a manner? Could these childeren feel abandoned, and would this knowledge cause emotional trauma if the truth comes to light?

On Days of Our Lives, the baby that was left in the Safe Haven Box is in a good foster home and may soon be adopted by a loving couple. Hopefully, children in real life who are left in the same situation will also have good fortune.